High Court Freezes Implementation of Law Banning Arrest of Haredi Draft-Dodgers
The High Court of Justice froze the implementation of a law banning the arrest of ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers on Wednesday, July 15, one day after the Knesset passed it. Responding to petitions against the legislation, the court ordered that a hearing be held as soon as possible and issued a temporary order preventing the law from coming into effect until further decision. It also issued a conditional order requiring the government to explain why the law should not be struck down.
Justice Ofer Grosskopf, who issued the decision, cited “this court's longstanding rulings on the issue of drafting yeshiva students,” the implications of freezing arrest and enforcement procedures with respect to only certain segments of the population, and the weighty arguments raised by petitioners against the law's validity. The legislation bars arrests, investigations and enforcement measures against draft dodgers enrolled in yeshiva study until November 30, though for legal reasons tied to the coming elections it would in practice extend to February 2027. Some 72,000 ultra-Orthodox men aged 18 to 24 are currently eligible for military service but have ignored conscription orders, while the IDF has said repeatedly in recent months that it urgently needs 12,000 new recruits.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir had called the law “inconceivable” on Monday, July 13, saying it was “clearly and unequivocally inconsistent with the IDF's needs.” Petitioners argued the legislation is discriminatory because it bars arrests of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students who defy conscription orders while allowing arrests of non-Haredi draft dodgers to continue. A hearing before an expanded panel of judges will now be scheduled, after which the court may issue an interim order freezing implementation of the law until a final ruling.
(TOI/VFI News)
"That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." – Deuteronomy 16:20